My Tour Guide Journey – Part 10: Final Exam

My course in Culture and Tourism at the University of Geneva has officially come to an end. Recently, I delivered the oral presentation and guided tour for my final project, titled “The Lakeside Villas, Gardens and Art of Geneva’s Right Bank.”

The final project involved creating a two-hour thematic walking tour focused on a specific area and subject within Geneva. I chose the villas, gardens, and public art of Geneva’s Right Bank because these beautiful lakeside parks are located close to where I live and are places that I have enjoyed visiting for many years. The tour takes visitors through five public parks: Parc Mon Repos, Parc Moynier, Parc Perle du Lac, Parc Barton, and Parc William Rappard.

Over the years, I had already done some basic research on a few of the historic villas and the history of these parks. When the opportunity arose to create my own tour, I was excited to dive much deeper into the subject and develop an engaging experience that I could share with both tourists and local residents. My goal was to create one of those memorable Geneva walking tours that reveals a side of the city many people overlook.

The first phase of the project consisted of a 30-page written report describing the tour in detail. This included historical research, explanations of the points of interest, references, photographs, and a complete itinerary. After submitting the written portion in June, I was delighted to receive a high mark along with very positive comments from the professor.

The second phase was even more exciting—and a little more nerve-racking. I had to lead a one-hour guided tour for my professors, classmates, and a jury composed of professional Geneva tour guides. The evaluation focused on many of the key skills required of a Geneva professional tour guide, including voice projection, storytelling ability, logical structure, body language, historical accuracy, audience interaction, timing, and visitor safety. To add an extra challenge, the entire presentation had to be delivered in French.

Although I was somewhat nervous before the exam, I felt well prepared. During the previous month, I had practiced the tour several times with friends and family. Fortunately, the weather on the day of the exam was absolutely beautiful, which certainly helped.

At 1:00 p.m., I met the professors, jury members, and several classmates at the starting point in Parc Mon Repos, and we set off on the tour. Everything flowed smoothly from one stop to the next. When the jury asked difficult questions, I was able to answer confidently and accurately. Before I knew it, the hour had flown by. As we concluded the tour in front of the WTO building in Parc Rappard, I felt an enormous sense of relief as the group applauded with smiles on their faces.

A few days later, I received my final grade: 5.75 out of 6 !

I couldn’t have been happier.

Not only did this mark provide a wonderful conclusion to the course, but it also means that I now have my own original thematic tour—“The Lakeside Villas, Gardens and Art of Geneva’s Right Bank”—which I can offer as part of my Geneva guided tours and Geneva private guided tours.

All of the hard work, research, preparation, and practice have paid off. The only step remaining is to receive my diploma at the graduation ceremony in November and officially launch my activity as a Geneva professional tour guide.

I look forward to sharing this unique tour, along with other Geneva walking tours, with future visitors who want to discover the rich history, culture, gardens, architecture, and hidden stories of this remarkable city.

Presentation of my final project walking tour to professors, jury and classmates